His Butler, Multitasking
by xx Dull Rose xx
Summary: Hey, so this is a bit of a work in progress- so far here's the story: April 19th promises to be a completely dull and boring day for the Young Master. That is, until he receives an urgent letter from the Queen. Now it is up to Earl Ciel Phantomhive and his demonic butler to find a missing "person of significance" AND on top of all that, it is Elizabeth's birthday. DUN DUN DA!
1. Chapter 1

"Young Master, it is time to get up."

Ciel Phantomhive opened his eyes. His butler Sebastian was standing by his bedside, preparing the morning's tea.

"Today's tea is Earl Grey, served with a side of Danish pastries," Sebastian said as he handed Ciel the cup and saucer.

"Fine," Ciel said nonchalantly, "What is today's schedule?"

Ciel quietly sipped his tea as Sebastian relayed the day's planned events. Today promised to be a dull day of work. First thing after breakfast, Ciel would go into town for the opening of a new Funtom Toy Store Then, he would make a quick stop at the cobbler's shop to have some new shoes made. After running a few more tedious errands, he would retire to his study before dinner and bed. Yes, there was certainly nothing special about April 19th…

Ciel suddenly spat out his tea.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "Is something the matter, my Lord?"

"Sebastian," Ciel gasped, "What day is it?"

"April 19th," his butler promptly stated.

"Damn!" Ciel shouted, springing out of bed, "Cancel everything!"

Having set down his empty saucer, Ciel sloppily attempted to change out of his nightshirt and into a respectable outfit. His butler, Sebastian, swiftly came to his side and aided the boy.

Sebastian began buttoning his Master's white undershirt and asked, " Whatever is the matter, my Lord? Is something-"

"Today is Elizabeth's birthday," Ciel snapped, pulling on a pair of gloves, "Honestly, how could I have forgotten? I'll never hear the end of it if I don't get her a present. Edward's going to kill me!"

Sebastian picked out a green waistcoat for the boy and smiled, saying, "Oh, there's no need to worry. I have prepared in advance for exactly this kind of situation."

Ciel raised an eyebrow and muttered, "You know, there is such a thing as being too prepared, Sebastian…What do you have in mind?"

"Well," Sebastian offered, smirking as he buttoned the Earl's waistcoat, "It occurred to me that what Lady Elizabeth wants most is to spend time with you, so why not let that be her gift?"

Ciel grimaced, "Do I have to?"

It wasn't that Ciel didn't want to spend time with Lizzy. It was just…well…He wasn't quite sure he could take a whole day of her suffocating bear hugs.

Sebastian scowled, and hastily tied on the black eye patch that concealed the mark of the covenant between the boy and the demon, "Young Master, it would be disgracing the Phantomhive name to upset a lady on her birthday."

"Fine," Ciel sighed, brushing away Sebastian's hand, "It's not like I had anything extremely important today. Her Majesty hasn't instructed me to solve a new case yet, so-"

"Oh!" Sebastian interrupted, "I almost forgot! This letter arrived late last night."

Sebastian handed the boy a small envelope encrusted with the royal seal. Ciel snatched the note and immediately opened it up. As the Queen's Guard Dog it was his solemn duty to attend to every one of Her Majesty's worries, sweeping them away like pesky spider webs nested in the nooks and crannies of the country. Ciel glanced up at Sebastian.

"You should have alerted me earlier, Sebastian…Are you ignoring your duties as a butler?"

"Apologies, my Lord," the demonic butler said in a deep bow, "I will not be so tardy in the future."

Ciel scoffed and quickly glanced over the content of the note. Apparently, a "person of significance" to Her Majesty had mysteriously vanished. The missing person's name was Cordelia Brown. The girl was a child and a distant relative of the Queen's family that had been living in London with her family before her disappearance. It was Earl Ciel Phantomhive's job to find Cordelia and, if possible, return her safely home. Ciel's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. With Elizabeth's birthday to work around, this would be no easy task.

"Sebastian," Ciel commanded, "I order you to look into this matter for me while I am at the Midford Household. Interview her parents and find out where she was last seen. Tell me what you find out as soon as possible."

"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian bowed, then added, "How long do you plan to stay with Lady Elizabeth and her family?"

Ciel thought for a moment and said, "Have a coach ready for me by five o'clock.

"Very well, sir," Sebastian replied, "I'll be sending Snake with you as your escort for the day."

"Fine, fine," Ciel replied, waving his hand dismissively. Today wasn't going exactly as planned. The young Earl slowly walked to his study to reflect on the Queen's note. As he sat at his desk, a deep sigh enveloped the room.

Another missing person's case, Ciel thought. The last missing person's case he had looked into had been much more taxing than he would have preferred. The set of circumstances was eerily similar, with a "person of significance" to the Queen being the victim both times. Ciel highly doubted that the case of Derrick Arden was related to the case of Cordelia Brown, though…and he certainly knew he wasn't going to infiltrate a school again, no matter what the circumstances. The boy glanced at the hair locket lying on his desk. Ciel slowly picked up the necklace, fingering the silver engravings of initials…could the Undertaker have something to do with this as well?

A timid knocking at the door interrupted Ciel's thoughts.

"Come in," Ciel said, setting down the piece of jewelry.

"It is time to go…says Keats," Snake murmured, nervously poking his head in the door.

"Very well," Ciel said, offering his footman a small smile. Snake had come to work at the manor after Ciel had taken him in. The footman was incredibly insecure, probably due to the snake-like markings on his skin, and talked through his "friends." Rather, his snakes. One could always be found draped around his neck, and Snake had recently begun carrying them around in a satchel whenever they left the manor. It did not escape the Earl's notice that Snake had this satchel with him today. Even so, the boy said nothing as the two headed down the staircase of his manor.

"Young Master," Sebastian called.

Ciel turned to see his butler approaching with a small, colorfully wrapped box.

"Shouldn't you be waiting at the coach?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian answered, "It occurred to me that although your presence may be enough of a gift for Lady Elizabeth, her brother, Edward, may protest if you don't give her a present."

Ciel took the box and asked, "What is it?"

Sebastian put a finger to his lips and said, "It's a surprise."

"Whatever," Ciel grumbled, handing the box to Snake, "Come on Snake, lets go…"

"Wait! Young Master!" Meyrin's shrill voice screeched. Meyrin, the maid, and Bard, the "chef", rushed out of the kitchen and dumped two large boxes into the child's hands.

"What?" Ciel gasped, struggling under the weight of the gifts, "More presents?"

"Of course!" Meyrin chimed, "I got Lady Elizabeth something real special, yes I did!"

"And I cooked her up a big surprise!" Bard exclaimed.

Note to self, Ciel thought, don't give Lizzy Bard's gift.

On the way out of the door, Finney gave Ciel some flowers to deliver to Elizabeth as well.

"Have fun at Lady Elizabeth's!" the gardener, Finnian, shouted as Ciel and Snake rode off.

Fun, Ciel thought as Sebastian drove the carriage out of the drive, As if…

Ciel glanced at Snake and noticed the look of discomfort on his face.

Ciel chuckled and said, "You didn't have to get her a gift, too, you know."

The Earl rested his head on his hand as he looked out the window, "There's no need to feel guilty."

"But," Snake sighed, "Everyone else got her something…says Oscar."

"Well," Ciel argued, "That was their choice. Just because they did something doesn't mean you have to."

"If I had known today was her birthday, I would have gotten her something too…says Keats," Snake replied sullenly.

That makes two of us, Ciel thought. The boy cleared his throat and said, "It's too late now, anyway. You can get her a gift next year."

The ride continued the rest of the way in silence. Soon, they had arrived at the Midford Estate.


	2. Chapter 2

The air was cold for springtime. As Sebastian ran across the rooftops of west London, his breath was visible in a chilled, ghostly form. It wasn't that the cold bothered him, quite the contrary. He found the frigid air oddly nostalgic, reminding him of his days before he had contracted to Ciel Phantomhive...But he didn't have time to stroll down memory lane. His master had given him an order, and it was his solemn duty as a butler to oblige. After all, if he couldn't find on missing girl for his master, what kind of butler would he be?

Sebastian found himself wondering how his master's little "date" was going. He had to admit, the idea amused him. When he suggested that Ciel put aside his work for Lady Elizabeth, he was of course being sincere, but he hadn't expected Ciel to agree so easily. He smiled, enjoying the idea. Part of him began to grow concerned, though. His master wouldn't have time for Lady Elizabeth if things went according to plan. No matter his personal feelings about the matter, Sebastian was _not_ going to let anyone interfere with the meal he had spent so long properly preparing. Least of all Lady Elizabeth. His thoughts turned back to the present when he arrived at his destination. This was _not_ going to be pleasant.

Of course, the demon had first stopped to interrogate Cordelia Brown's parents, both of noble blood and high class. The aristocrats hadn't the slightest idea where their daughter was, and were essentially useless. The only useful information Sebastian had been able to ferret out of them was that Miss. Brown was last seen January 26th, in the manor's botanical gardens. Upon questioning the staff of the household, Sebastian had discovered that this "Cordelia Brown" character was insufferably curious, and constantly nagged the employees. Her maid, Jezebel, had told him that she noticed that Cordelia had begun carrying around and odd black book. Jezebel feared that Cordelia was trying to summon the devil with dark magic. Naturally, there was only one place this could lead him to...

Arriving at his destination, Sebastian heaved a deep sigh. He slowly pushed open the doors of the large, lifeless building, braced for a fate far worse than death. For a moment, Sebastian was hopeful that he wouldn't run into that deranged lunatic. Sebastian scanned the bookshelves filled with dark, thick volumes. The interior seemed to be blissfully free of cross-dressing grim reapers at the moment. He hastily began searching through the Cinematic Records for a mention of Cordelia Brown.

"SEBAS-CHAN!" A shrill voice screeched, causing the demon to cringe, "Oh, Sebastian Darling, my beloved star-crossed-lover! My demonic angel!"

Grell Sutcliff clung to Sebastian like a life-line. Sebastian shuddered.

"Grell Sutcliff," he said firmly, "How many times must I tell you, WE ARE NOT STAR CROSSED LOVERS."

Grell's eyes watered as he cried in delight, "Coy as ever, I see...Where's the Phantomhive brat your always parading around with?"

Grell's fluorescente green eyes scanned the room. Before Sebatian could tell him to kindly go find some dignity, the reaper answered his own question.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Grell beamed, a sudden thought occurring to him, "You've come to your senses! You've finally left that child for me!"

Sebastian was speechless.

Grell's voice quickly filled the silence as he crooned on, "Oh, Bassy! How positively ADORABLE of you! I can hardly blame you, I mean, how could a small boy even COMPARE to a marvelous woman like me?" He flicked his red hair dramatically.

Having taken enough of this crap, Sebastian promptly succor-punched the idiot in the face. Grell twitched on the floor, groaning.

"Now then," Sebastian said calmly, the Reaper's "To Die" list in hand, "I'll be taking this now. Good day."

The demon left Grell lying on the floor and scanned through the book. Cordelia Brown was no where in it. She was still alive.


	3. Chapter 3

Snake struggled under the weight of Lady Elizabeth's gifts. Honestly, Ciel would have felt sorry for the guy if Elizabeth hadn't tackled him at that moment.

"Oh, CIEL!" She chirped, squeezing him tight, "I just knew you'd come!"

"E-e-elizabeth," Ciel choked out, nearly suffocated by the frilly girl's death grip, "You're hugging me too tight!"

"Sorry!" She squealed, loosening her grip on the boy, "I'm just so happy that you've come!"

Ciel felt guilt rising in his stomach as he lied, "I wouldn't miss it. Happy birthday, Elizabeth."

"It's Lizzy, remember?" Elizabeth asked.

"Lizzy," he corrected himself.

Elizabeth giggled, and took the earl by the hand. Snake jogged after the two, careful to keep his distance.

"Everyone's waiting in the garden," Lizzy explained as she led him through the grounds.

"Everyone?" Ciel asked.

"Mm-hm," Lizzy nodded, "There's Mother and Father, and Paula and our butler Stephan, and my friends Ashley and Kate," Elizabeth went on, naming a few other guests as they walked. Ciel barely paid attention. Wandering the grounds of the Midford Estate brought back so many memories. He remembered when he used to play with Lizzy as a child, how much brighter everything was then. He found himself squeezing Elizabeth's hand back in spite of himself. The girl's eyes grew wide at the gesture, and her speech faltered.

"Go on," Ciel said, "Rebecca and Ronald." He reminded her of the last two guests she named. Maybe he _had _been paying a bit of attention.

Elizabeth shook her head, "That's it." She said, "Edward is away with school at Weston, and couldn't make it this year."

Well, Ciel thought, At least I don't have to deal with her brother's constant criticism.

The three arrived at the gardens, which was good since Snake looked like he was going to collapse under the weight of all those boxes. The gardens were in full bloom, and the grand picnic table was surrounded by blooming lilacs. A white table cloth covered the table, which had several plates set out. The garden smelled of honeysuckle and ripened fruit. It was a little early in the season for strawberries, but thanks to the warm spell that had swept over London, the garden was full of them. At the one of the table sat Elizabeth's mother and father. All of the seats were filled except for two at the other end, which Ciel assumed were for Elizabeth and himself.

"Aunt Frances, Marques," Ciel greeted Elizabeth's parents, "Lovely to see you again."

Mr. Midford burst out of his chair and choked Ciel in his second bear hug of the day, "MY FUTURE SON!" He boomed in a low, resounding voice, "HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO SEE YOU!"

"Alex!" shouted Frances, Elizabeth's mother, "Cease this inappropriate behavior at once! You are a Marques, for goodness sake!"

"Sorry, dear," the Marques apologized, "He's just so cute!"

Ciel tried to ignore the annoyance welling up inside him. He was not_ "cute"_ by any means. He was the head of the Phantomhive family and deserved to be treated like it. The boy took a deep breath. "Thank you for allowing me to celebrate my fiancee's birthday with you," Ciel said graciously.

"Hmpf," Aunt Frances growled, "That is the proper thing to do. If you will take your seats, we can have our lunch and our daughter can open her gifts.

_Gifts..._That reminded Ciel. Just what _had_ the demon sent as Ciel's present?

Lunch commenced in a dull manor as the nobles gossiped. Ciel lazily picked at the shortcake. Sebastian would have done a much better job preparing the dish, but the meal was satisfactory.

"Ciel?" Elizabeth asked, "Is everything all right?"

The boy realized he'd been scowling. He quickly put on a small smile for his fiancee."It's nothing," he said.

"If you say so..." Elizabeth was distracted by the freckled girl to her left, Rebecca. Rebecca's brother Ronald sat uncomfortably between the chattering girls.

Ciel noticed that Snake was talking with some of the other servants positioned nearby. That was good. His social skills were improving.

The meal was soon devoured. When the conversations began to die down, Aunt Frances rose from her seat.

"Before my daughter opens her gifts," she said, "I would like to make a proposal to my daughter's future husband."

Ciel stiffened. Knowing Aunt Frances, she would ask him to do something completely insane, like arm wrestle with a bear to prove his worthiness, or retrieve some odd exotic plant from the garden as a tribute of his love for Elizabeth. But what she proposed was much worse.

"Ciel," she ordered, "I challenge you to a friendly duel! If you best me, I will still consider you worthy of my daughter's hand. If not..." She didn't need to finish her sentence.

"Mother!" Elizabeth objected.

Ciel sighed, "I accept."

Well, he was doomed.

* * *

**Sorry for the pathetic chapter end there, but I ****stayed up WAY to late last night and I'm kind of tired...Sorry for the infrequent chapter updates too, but I'll have more time for this now that it's summer. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Sebastian scowled as he flipped through the pages of the "To Die" list, double- checking for any mention of Cordelia Brown. All humans die. Even if her death had yet to arrive, her name, a cause, and a date should appear in this book. He knew it even before he had went over the book a second time. It was only a precaution that he checked again. He never missed anything. As expected, there was no mention of Cordelia Brown. This didn't make any sense…unless…

"Unless she isn't mortal?" A steely voice finished his thought for him.

Sebastian turned to see William T. Spears adjust his glasses, like the OCD reaper he was. His hair was cut neatly and parted down the middle, every strand exactly in place. His black suit was completely free of wrinkles, his tie straight to the point of looking plastic, and his shoes were shined to perfection. Even his face was eerily perfect…_Although_, Sebastian reminded himself, _not as perfect as mine_.

The demon smirked, replying in a condescending tone, "How lovely to see you again, William. Unfortunately, I don't have time to chat."

William harrumphed, irritated, "Coincidentally, neither do I. I'll be taking back the book you…" He paused, as if searching for the right word, "_borrowed."_

Suddenly, footsteps rapidly grew closer. The sound was like gunfire- high heels clicking on roof tiles. Sebastian frowned. Why did the universe insist on tormenting him? Just working for the Phantomhive brat was enough torture for one millennia, thank you.

"Now wait just a MINUTE!" a shrill man's voice objected, "Bassy, you can't just leave me lying on the cold floor like that, how cruel!"

Sebastian smiled darkly and said, "Forgive me. You just look so much better beaten to a pulp than you do normally."

The red-clad reaper shivered and cried, "Oh, you think so? Then come at me! But, please, be as gentle as you ca-"

"Grell Sutcliff," William interrupted, obviously irate as the slacker stood beside him, hanging about like a misplaced, very red, plant in a garden of dark flowers, "What are you doing? You should be working! And what about that subordinate you're supposed to be monitoring?" William pronounced his words as shortly as his hair was clipped.

"Huh?" Grell asked, placing one hand on his hip as he checked his nails for dirt, "You mean Ronald? Oh, don't worry. I've got him busy. He's doing my paperwork for me."

William sighed, obviously fed up, "Never mind that," he snapped, "We have more pressing matters to deal with."

The reaper turned his attention back to the matter at hand, "Now then, Sebastian Micha-"

Crickets.

"Wait," Grell squawked, eyes searching the abandoned roof, "Where'd he go? He was just here!"

William bent down and picked up the "borrowed" copy of the "To Die" list. On top of the black book was a note that read:

_I won't be needing this after all. Thank you for your time and resources._

_Sebastian M._

"Huh?" Grell read over William's shoulder curiously, "Hold on just a second, where did he get the paper to write that? Not to mention the quill and ink?"

"Where do you think?" William muttered.

After a moments pause, Grell shouted, "OH! My, well Bassy, I say-"

"That monster has caused us trouble for the last time…Come with me," William commanded as he sprinted after the demon.

"Oh, Will, only if you ABSOLUTELY insist," Grell flirted, grabbing his chainsaw death-scythe. (Being off suspension certainly had its perks, didn't it?)

Sebastian could hear the two advancing. His master was calling him. He didn't have time for this. He wondered what it could be. He wasn't supposed to be called in until at least five-o-clock. He checked his pocket watch. It had just turned one thirty four and 17 seconds. He knew the Master wasn't in immediate danger, but flawless punctuality was expected of a Phantomhive Butler. As the demon exited London, he noticed something odd. The temperature was changing rapidly from somewhat chilled to positively _warm._ Although he didn't know if it was important, Sebastian made note. The cloudy haze of the city began to disappear, revealing a clear blue sky.

Come to think of it, it was already well into April. Easter had come and gone (Lizzy-style celebrations and all)…wasn't it odd that London seemed so frosty? The manor was considerably far from the city. Far enough away that the chill didn't seem to reach it…It seemed as if only London was affected by this cold spell. It wasn't chilly enough to be too concerning, but seemed strange considering the heat wave hitting everywhere else in the country. Sebastian had a feeling all of this would point back to Cordelia Brown and the odd dark book…

"Sebastian Michaelis!" William shouted, "Come back here this instant!"

Sebastian turned, pausing to respond, "If you will excuse me, I have a rather urgent matter to attend to. I suggest that the two of you resume your work as well."

Grell finally caught up to William, panting, "You…sure…are light…on your feet, I'll give you that."

William grunted, "If you weren't in such bad shape you would be able to keep up with me. Honestly."

Grell snapped indignantly, "BAD SHAPE?! Do you have any idea how many people would DIE to look like me?"

"You definitely meet the definition of 'looks that could kill,'" Sebastian said in a not-at-all-complimentary tone.

Grell beamed, stepping before William towards the demon with sparkling eyes, "Oh, Sebas-chan! You are too kind!" He caressed his death scythe as he spoke.

Sebastian and William both checked their watches at the same time.

_I've already wasted too much time here, _Sebastian thought.

_If I don't wrap this up, _William assumed, _I'll be stuck working overtime again…Just once I'd like to clock out on time. _

The two charged at the same moment.

Unfortunately, they charged strait into Grell who happened to be standing between them. The poor reaper was nearly crushed in the collision.

"Now listen," Grell yelped, rubbing his head as he straightened his red glasses, "I understand your affection for me, but one at a time, PLEASE."

This earned him a swift kick from both William and Sebastian.

"Ow!" Grell complained, "Listen, I'm not completely emotionless like the two of you! Nor am I made of stone, THAT HURT!"

"That's the point," William responded, "Grell, if you aren't going to be of any use to me in this battle, I request you return to your post. Unless you want me to report to the Higher Ups..."

"NO!" Grell screeched, jumping up from where he lay, "That won't be necessary!" The reaper turned to Sebastian and blew a kiss, "Another time, Sebastian Darling, toddle-oo!" In a flash, he was gone.

Sebastian was so taken aback that William was able to land a hit. The demon was sent flying back. Sebastian crashed into the roof of the next building, causing several tiles to come loose. The demon rose and spit out a squirt of blood, wiping his mouth.

"If I remember correctly," the demon said angrily, "I returned the book I checked out."

"Sebastian Michaelis," William T. Spears recited, as if speaking a line he'd practiced to himself repeatedly, "This time you have gone too far. You're continued interference with my job is something that I have no intention of putting up with any longer," he pushed back his glasses as he smiled icily. After a dramatic pause, the reaper said, "Under Clause 17 of the "Grim Reaper Dispatch Manual," if a reaper is 'unable to do his job/ continually harassed by a demon, he is at liberty to put an end to the problem in any way he see's fit.'"

Sebastian raised his fists protectively. He knew where this was going.

"Very well," Sebastian closed his eyes, "But be warned- I do not intend to hold back this time."

"The feeling is mutual," William replied cooly.

Sebastian opened his eyes, "Then you understand what's at stake," he declared, his now pink-red eyes forming cat-like slits for pupils.

"I do," William challenged, "I, William T. Spears of the Grim Reaper's Management Team, stake my immortal soul on the outcome of this battle!"


End file.
